Netflix’s reality competition show, The Mole, has similar shows fans can enjoy after bingeing season 1 of the hit series. As a reboot of a reality show that ran in the early 2000s, The Mole follows a group of strangers who must work together to add money to the winning prize that only one of them will take home. The twist is that one contestant is secretly required to sabotage the group’s efforts.
The series wrapped its first season with a stunning reveal about who the mole was. While it’s still unclear when The Mole season 2 will air, there are many shows to enjoy in the meantime. Fans of The Mole can rejoice knowing there are plenty of other dramatic, mysterious, and conniving reality competition shows out there for them to binge next. Which shows are best for fans of this iconic show?
1 Are You The One? (2014-)
Stream On Paramount+
MTV’s Are You The One combines classic dating show elements with MTV’s usual reality show scheme of making everyone live under one roof. The series centers on a group of contestants secretly paired by a matchmaking algorithm and must find their “perfect match.” If everyone is successful, the entire group takes home a shared prize of $1 million.
Like The Mole, Are You The One relies on teamwork and level-headed thinking, but things always go awry. While there isn’t a “mole” in Are You The One, contestants have been known to fall for people who aren’t their perfect match, making it difficult for everyone else to complete the challenge until the final episode.
2 Big Brother (2000-)
Stream On Paramount+
CBS’s Big Brother is one of the longest-running reality shows on television that continues to air new seasons. The series centers on a group of contestants, or “housemates,” who all live together in an isolated house where they are cut off from the rest of the world. During their stay, they are required to do certain tasks and are eliminated by their housemates weekly until only one winner remains. While contestants in The Mole aren’t voted out by their fellow contestants, both shows include dramatic elimination ceremonies, entertaining for audiences to watch. Big Brother Reindeer Games is a surprising hit and airing on CBS.
3 Bullsh*t The Game Show (2022-)
Stream On Netflix
Bullsh*t The Game Show is already one of the best game shows on Netflix. Hosted by Howie Mandel and Ashley Judge, each episode features a group of contestants who are tasked with answering various trivia questions. However, in this game, contestants don’t always have to answer correctly; they just have to respond confidently and convince their competitors that they are right. Like The Mole, the entire premise of Bullsh*t The Game Show relies on contestants being deceitful and conniving. The only difference is instead of one mole-like character, every contestant is one.
4 Cutthroat Kitchen (2013-2017)
Stream On Hulu
A cult classic among cooking show fans, Cutthroat Kitchen follows four chefs as they compete through three elimination rounds. However, unlike other cooking shows that rely purely on skill, in Cutthroat Kitchen, contestants can purchase opportunities to sabotage one another, making it more difficult to complete the various challenges.
Like the mole contestant in The Mole, the contestants in Cutthroat Kitchen are excited and encouraged to sabotage their contestants to come out on top. It’s the perfect show for fans who love the deceitful energy of The Mole.
5 The Masked Singer (2019-)
Stream On Hulu
First starting in South Korea, The Masked Singer was adapted for American television and became a massive success. The singing competition show features celebrities with varying degrees of singing abilities competing in over-the-top costumes that mask their true identity. After each performance, judges try to guess the true identity of the singers before an audience votes off the worst performance of the night to unveil that person’s identity.
While The Masked Singer isn’t as mentally involved as The Mole, it does offer a lot of audience participation from viewers at home. While The Mole kept fans busy on social media speculating who the mole was, The Masked Singer has fans constantly trying to guess who the celebrities are under the masks weekly.
6 Survivor (2000-)
Stream On Paramount+
CBS’ Survivor was an instant success when it began airing in the 2000s and regularly appeared in the top 10 most-watched shows for years. The survival reality competition features a group of strangers left on an isolated island and competing against each other in the hopes of being the lone survivor. They are encouraged to form alliances to save each other from elimination, but ultimately, the game encourages sabotage.
Like The Mole, the contestants compete in various mental and physical challenges and involve contestants helping each other out while secretly tearing each other down. It’s the perfect show for fans of The Mole because it’s the most similar regarding challenges and acts of sabotage.
7 The Amazing Race (2001-)
Stream On Paramount+
The Amazing Race is another long-standing reality competition show staple that doesn’t seem to disappear. The series follows eleven two-person teams tasked with racing around the world, with the fastest team winning $1 million. Along the way, teams are tested mentally and physically and are ultimately eliminated until three final teams remain and race to the finish line.
While The Amazing Racedoesn’t involve as much sabotage as The Mole does, it features exciting and clever challenges that test contestants’ strengths and brains. It’s also a fun show to watch since the competition takes place worldwide.
8 The Circle (2020-)
Stream On Netflix
Premiering in 2020 weekly, The Circle centers on a group of strangers who move into separate apartments in the same complex. Cut off from the outside world, they can only communicate with those in the apartment via social media but cannot see each other’s faces. Throughout the competition, the contestants rate each other and are regularly at risk of being eliminated.
Like The Mole, contestants in The Circle are encouraged to be deceitful since no one knows who they are during the competition. This leads to several contestants choosing to catfish their fellow contestants by pretending to be someone they’re not. The Circle season 5 premiered in December 2022, but the show is expected to continue.
9 The Challenge (1998-)
Stream On Paramount+
A spin-off of one of MTV’s best reality shows, The Real World, The Challenge features contestants from former related TV shows and splits them into teams who then must compete against each other. Each season of The Challenge varies slightly regarding who the contestants and teams are and how the elimination rounds go down.
Like The Mole, The Challenge is a show about strategy and teamwork to some extent but also requires a bit of sabotage since contestants who are put up for elimination must compete against each other to stay in the game.
10 Too Hot To Handle (2020-)
Stream On Netflix
Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle is a reality show that centers on a group of beautiful single people who have all been sent to a gorgeous island. While there, they are encouraged to mingle and make meaningful connections with their fellow contestants but must remain celibate if they want to win the prize money. The prize money is reduced if they fail, and contestants may face elimination.
Much like The Mole, Too Hot To Handle relies on immense teamwork since the goal is to win the top prize money. However, both shows involve contestants who only think of themselves and, thus, cost the rest of the contestants valuable money.
